Mazda cx 9 cv axle replacement

Hello,

I'm now in the middle of removing the CV axle on the passenger side from the jack shaft spline since removing it all the way back at the transmission is one impossible (no room and can't reach) but also, even the Mazda P5 manual says to drain the transmission (true?) before popping the jack axle from said transmission (sport stick auto) to start with, but do show removing the CV axle via the jack shaft spline with a rod and a mallet, but assumes you have room for a proper swing to do it.

I don't and have the car up as high as we need to get it with the factory jack and 2 jack stands so the car is on the stand's lowest setting. With tire removed I can reach back to the axle jack and the CV joint cup OK through the wheel opening and that's it.

It's taken me days of swing a hammer/mallet on said cup to remove the CV axle to avail, it moved, maybe an inch or so but it's taking a long time to get there. and the swings are small and via wrists, with my left arm helping assist. It's tedious and tiring I might add.

The reason I'm removing the axle is the entire assembly needs to be replaced due to a bad bearing that has caused the axle to seize to the hub/knuckle assembly as many strikes later with a mallet at the axle, I got it maybe to budge half an inch, if that and it should be a few whacks to free it from being torqued down and then you can push it with your thumbs all the way back until it stops before you rotate the steering knuckle to remove the axle completely from the knuckle/hub assembly before you remove the entire knuckle assembly to get the bearing pressed out and the new one pressed in. I saw a video where a guy tried to remove the axle using a 20Lb press and could not get it all the way out without excessive resistance since the bearing was too far gone.

In the process, discovered issues with a few other parts, the brake bracket had the guide pins totally stuck, I could not get the lower out out, at all even with an impact cordless drill, it barely got the 2 14mm (I think) bolts that hold the brake pad bracket in place, thanks to Midas when they did my brakes in 2016. I think they used locktite and reefed on them to where they were almost impossible to get of, but eventually did but that lower guide pin, not so much.

So ordered up all new parts, outside of the ball joint (looks and feels fine), the lower control arm, tie rod end, that includes the knuckle (brand new from Dorman (Advance Auto) and several places sell it), a new hub (from Autozone), new bearing, C clip, a new brake pad bracket, new guide pins, brake pad hardware as the pads fell out and I lost one of the springs in the process. The rest of the parts came from Advance and all had to be ordered in as none were available locally.

Also got a whole new reman CV transaxle from Wearever, also through Advance.

The issue is, getting the axle out. The only way now is lying on my side in the gravel, with both arms outstretched above my head, at my wrists to whack at the CV joint cup to remove it from the jack axle and got it to move about an half an inch inch since I can't get a decent swing at it. In the meantime, was able to break the band around the boot and the axle came out of said cup and beat in the cup some more, now that the weight is off, but can't tell if actually moving or not when I whack on it.

So this morning had an epiphany. Why not use a pneumatic air hammer, like this Kobalt unit that Lowes sells. I tried to find a place that rents it, but no, just the overly large ones for construction sites for chiseling off mud etc. The lightest one is 20Lbs anyway to hammer it out. Even Harbor freight sells two similar type units for under $20 and includes the nipple and chisel in the box and think I'll get that as my friend has the compressor handy.

Do you think that's a good idea or not?